Are NES turbo buttons internal to the controller?

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As you may know, the classic NES controller was not the only NES controller that Nintedo released with the NES. These included the NES advantage, the NES Max, and the Dogbone. All of these new controllers featured turbo buttons (buttons for frame perfect spam). The thing that confuses me about this is that the controllers had no way of knowing when the NES changed frame, so how how did it know when to switch from on to off or vise versa? The reason I don't think the NES communicated this information to the controller is because controllers with turbo buttons came out after the NES, so Nintendo hadn't even thought of the concept yet, and wouldn't have been able to design the NES to work with it.










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    up vote
    1
    down vote

    favorite












    As you may know, the classic NES controller was not the only NES controller that Nintedo released with the NES. These included the NES advantage, the NES Max, and the Dogbone. All of these new controllers featured turbo buttons (buttons for frame perfect spam). The thing that confuses me about this is that the controllers had no way of knowing when the NES changed frame, so how how did it know when to switch from on to off or vise versa? The reason I don't think the NES communicated this information to the controller is because controllers with turbo buttons came out after the NES, so Nintendo hadn't even thought of the concept yet, and wouldn't have been able to design the NES to work with it.










    share|improve this question























      up vote
      1
      down vote

      favorite









      up vote
      1
      down vote

      favorite











      As you may know, the classic NES controller was not the only NES controller that Nintedo released with the NES. These included the NES advantage, the NES Max, and the Dogbone. All of these new controllers featured turbo buttons (buttons for frame perfect spam). The thing that confuses me about this is that the controllers had no way of knowing when the NES changed frame, so how how did it know when to switch from on to off or vise versa? The reason I don't think the NES communicated this information to the controller is because controllers with turbo buttons came out after the NES, so Nintendo hadn't even thought of the concept yet, and wouldn't have been able to design the NES to work with it.










      share|improve this question













      As you may know, the classic NES controller was not the only NES controller that Nintedo released with the NES. These included the NES advantage, the NES Max, and the Dogbone. All of these new controllers featured turbo buttons (buttons for frame perfect spam). The thing that confuses me about this is that the controllers had no way of knowing when the NES changed frame, so how how did it know when to switch from on to off or vise versa? The reason I don't think the NES communicated this information to the controller is because controllers with turbo buttons came out after the NES, so Nintendo hadn't even thought of the concept yet, and wouldn't have been able to design the NES to work with it.







      nes nintendo






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      asked 29 mins ago









      Jack Kasbrack

      14814




      14814




















          1 Answer
          1






          active

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          up vote
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          down vote



          accepted










          In the case of the NES Advantage at least, the Turbo rate was adjustable, by turning the dial at the top of each button.



          You are right in assuming that the NES does not communicate the start of a frame to the controller. But also, these buttons do not need to know when the frames are. All they need to do is open and close the circuit, which the software will usually treat as singulative button presses.



          A similar device exists on modern gaming controllers as well. They include a very simple circuit which just "make it look like" the user is mashing the button.






          share|improve this answer


















          • 1




            But wouldn't that make it miss a frame every once in a while? Is that a thing that happens?
            – Jack Kasbrack
            18 mins ago






          • 2




            @JackKasbrack sure, but it doesn't matter. Let's say the button fires a bullet of some kind. Use the turbo button and you get a load of bullets. It doesn't really matter if this is frame perfect, so it isn't frame perfect.
            – Wilson
            15 mins ago






          • 2




            That's kind of a crappy answer, but at the same time the best possible one.
            – Jack Kasbrack
            13 mins ago










          • Often there were limits on how many fired bullets (for example) could be on screen at once (if they were implemented as sprites) so once you'd hit that limit the autofire wouldn't help you until a previous bullet had either hit something or moved off screen. I found autofire tended to be more of a hindrance than a help
            – bodgit
            8 mins ago










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          1 Answer
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          oldest

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          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes









          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

          votes








          up vote
          4
          down vote



          accepted










          In the case of the NES Advantage at least, the Turbo rate was adjustable, by turning the dial at the top of each button.



          You are right in assuming that the NES does not communicate the start of a frame to the controller. But also, these buttons do not need to know when the frames are. All they need to do is open and close the circuit, which the software will usually treat as singulative button presses.



          A similar device exists on modern gaming controllers as well. They include a very simple circuit which just "make it look like" the user is mashing the button.






          share|improve this answer


















          • 1




            But wouldn't that make it miss a frame every once in a while? Is that a thing that happens?
            – Jack Kasbrack
            18 mins ago






          • 2




            @JackKasbrack sure, but it doesn't matter. Let's say the button fires a bullet of some kind. Use the turbo button and you get a load of bullets. It doesn't really matter if this is frame perfect, so it isn't frame perfect.
            – Wilson
            15 mins ago






          • 2




            That's kind of a crappy answer, but at the same time the best possible one.
            – Jack Kasbrack
            13 mins ago










          • Often there were limits on how many fired bullets (for example) could be on screen at once (if they were implemented as sprites) so once you'd hit that limit the autofire wouldn't help you until a previous bullet had either hit something or moved off screen. I found autofire tended to be more of a hindrance than a help
            – bodgit
            8 mins ago














          up vote
          4
          down vote



          accepted










          In the case of the NES Advantage at least, the Turbo rate was adjustable, by turning the dial at the top of each button.



          You are right in assuming that the NES does not communicate the start of a frame to the controller. But also, these buttons do not need to know when the frames are. All they need to do is open and close the circuit, which the software will usually treat as singulative button presses.



          A similar device exists on modern gaming controllers as well. They include a very simple circuit which just "make it look like" the user is mashing the button.






          share|improve this answer


















          • 1




            But wouldn't that make it miss a frame every once in a while? Is that a thing that happens?
            – Jack Kasbrack
            18 mins ago






          • 2




            @JackKasbrack sure, but it doesn't matter. Let's say the button fires a bullet of some kind. Use the turbo button and you get a load of bullets. It doesn't really matter if this is frame perfect, so it isn't frame perfect.
            – Wilson
            15 mins ago






          • 2




            That's kind of a crappy answer, but at the same time the best possible one.
            – Jack Kasbrack
            13 mins ago










          • Often there were limits on how many fired bullets (for example) could be on screen at once (if they were implemented as sprites) so once you'd hit that limit the autofire wouldn't help you until a previous bullet had either hit something or moved off screen. I found autofire tended to be more of a hindrance than a help
            – bodgit
            8 mins ago












          up vote
          4
          down vote



          accepted







          up vote
          4
          down vote



          accepted






          In the case of the NES Advantage at least, the Turbo rate was adjustable, by turning the dial at the top of each button.



          You are right in assuming that the NES does not communicate the start of a frame to the controller. But also, these buttons do not need to know when the frames are. All they need to do is open and close the circuit, which the software will usually treat as singulative button presses.



          A similar device exists on modern gaming controllers as well. They include a very simple circuit which just "make it look like" the user is mashing the button.






          share|improve this answer














          In the case of the NES Advantage at least, the Turbo rate was adjustable, by turning the dial at the top of each button.



          You are right in assuming that the NES does not communicate the start of a frame to the controller. But also, these buttons do not need to know when the frames are. All they need to do is open and close the circuit, which the software will usually treat as singulative button presses.



          A similar device exists on modern gaming controllers as well. They include a very simple circuit which just "make it look like" the user is mashing the button.







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited 17 mins ago

























          answered 20 mins ago









          Wilson

          9,501543117




          9,501543117







          • 1




            But wouldn't that make it miss a frame every once in a while? Is that a thing that happens?
            – Jack Kasbrack
            18 mins ago






          • 2




            @JackKasbrack sure, but it doesn't matter. Let's say the button fires a bullet of some kind. Use the turbo button and you get a load of bullets. It doesn't really matter if this is frame perfect, so it isn't frame perfect.
            – Wilson
            15 mins ago






          • 2




            That's kind of a crappy answer, but at the same time the best possible one.
            – Jack Kasbrack
            13 mins ago










          • Often there were limits on how many fired bullets (for example) could be on screen at once (if they were implemented as sprites) so once you'd hit that limit the autofire wouldn't help you until a previous bullet had either hit something or moved off screen. I found autofire tended to be more of a hindrance than a help
            – bodgit
            8 mins ago












          • 1




            But wouldn't that make it miss a frame every once in a while? Is that a thing that happens?
            – Jack Kasbrack
            18 mins ago






          • 2




            @JackKasbrack sure, but it doesn't matter. Let's say the button fires a bullet of some kind. Use the turbo button and you get a load of bullets. It doesn't really matter if this is frame perfect, so it isn't frame perfect.
            – Wilson
            15 mins ago






          • 2




            That's kind of a crappy answer, but at the same time the best possible one.
            – Jack Kasbrack
            13 mins ago










          • Often there were limits on how many fired bullets (for example) could be on screen at once (if they were implemented as sprites) so once you'd hit that limit the autofire wouldn't help you until a previous bullet had either hit something or moved off screen. I found autofire tended to be more of a hindrance than a help
            – bodgit
            8 mins ago







          1




          1




          But wouldn't that make it miss a frame every once in a while? Is that a thing that happens?
          – Jack Kasbrack
          18 mins ago




          But wouldn't that make it miss a frame every once in a while? Is that a thing that happens?
          – Jack Kasbrack
          18 mins ago




          2




          2




          @JackKasbrack sure, but it doesn't matter. Let's say the button fires a bullet of some kind. Use the turbo button and you get a load of bullets. It doesn't really matter if this is frame perfect, so it isn't frame perfect.
          – Wilson
          15 mins ago




          @JackKasbrack sure, but it doesn't matter. Let's say the button fires a bullet of some kind. Use the turbo button and you get a load of bullets. It doesn't really matter if this is frame perfect, so it isn't frame perfect.
          – Wilson
          15 mins ago




          2




          2




          That's kind of a crappy answer, but at the same time the best possible one.
          – Jack Kasbrack
          13 mins ago




          That's kind of a crappy answer, but at the same time the best possible one.
          – Jack Kasbrack
          13 mins ago












          Often there were limits on how many fired bullets (for example) could be on screen at once (if they were implemented as sprites) so once you'd hit that limit the autofire wouldn't help you until a previous bullet had either hit something or moved off screen. I found autofire tended to be more of a hindrance than a help
          – bodgit
          8 mins ago




          Often there were limits on how many fired bullets (for example) could be on screen at once (if they were implemented as sprites) so once you'd hit that limit the autofire wouldn't help you until a previous bullet had either hit something or moved off screen. I found autofire tended to be more of a hindrance than a help
          – bodgit
          8 mins ago

















           

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